No slipping saddle, long lost plant found

Saturday I wanted to try out my crupper and a no slip pad I could cut to fit under Zoe's saddle pad.   It took a while to saddle her because I was being super picky.  In the end--NO SLIPPAGE.  I was sooo happy.  My saddle stayed in place.  I did have to get off to adjust my crupper, it was too loose.  I will have to watch  where the crupper lies on my horse, that I won't get rub marks from that.  I think I will try using the crupper  and the no slip pad out on the trail, and just the no slip pad in the arena-see how that works.
All 3 of my horses went out today.  We discovered that Skippy and Zoe need to work on the same thing.  Loping while in the back.  Today Zoe was in the lead, we picked up a lope and Skippy did the head tossing, crow hopping thing.  Usually when Zoe is in the back I get some head tossing and more of a frantic lope, not the easy rocking chair lope I have when I'm in front or by myself.  So both horses need work being in the back-work for another day.  I find Zoe can lope behind Sky or Dune just fine.  I guess it depends on the number of horses or the energy of the lead horse or the attitude of "the horse I'm riding that day".
Today I saw a plant that I've been looking for for a few years.  Dutchman's pipevine.

For some reason I haven't seen it for a few years.  Maybe I'm looking at the wrong time or in the wrong place.  It was nice to see.  Sky's rider was amazed at the plant, the name, the flower, and how it gets pollinated.
We also practiced dragging sticks out on the trail.  The horses did fine.

Mid-week rides, vet visit, flexible

Mid-week rides this week meant I needed to be flexible.  Wednesday morning I discovered I had a flat-in my driveway.  However I decided not to change it at 5 am, I would have woken up my husband digging around in the garage for items and turning on the air compressor.  So I waited until he got up and I ended up leaving at 8:20.  I'm usually done cleaning the barn by 8:20.  Oh well," blessed are the flexible for they shall not be bent out of shape" is a saying that often comes to mind-and it applied today.  I knew I had a vet visit too-vaccinations.  So I knew my ride today would be short.  I finished cleaning and went on a short ride-5 miles.  I decided to see if I could beat my fastest mile at a trot.  And I did it.  Now it's not amazing for some people but for Zoe and me it's good.  11:18 in 1 mile.  She did so good today.  We loped some, trotted alot.  It was one of those days that I loved my horse.  I had a sweaty horse when we got back and since it was a warm day, she got hosed off.
The vet visit was okay.  Zoe was wary of the vets gloved hands.  She only had 1 injection and 1 internasal vaccination.  She stood okay for the injection, but didn't like the gloved hands by her nostrils for the internasal one.  She had her head high, but didn't dance with her feet.  I can play with her nostrils all I want, but not the vet.  I think I might spend time playing with her nose with latex gloved hands, maybe I can get her more used to it.
Thursday I rode after work with a friend.  Again my time was short due to having to get some new tires for the car.  We tried to find puddles to work and we did find some but they are drying up.  Today's north wind will dry them up even faster.  Yesterday Zoe walked thru puddles great, today-sometimes good, sometimes not so good.  Just had to go back and try again.  We decided to hand walk the horses on the road on the way home-really windy by then.  As we were walking by the housing development across the road from the green gate we met 2 boys on bikes.  We stopped to let them go by.  But their idea of passing us was different than I expected.  Zoe had about 1 1/2 feet between her and the curb.  They chose to ride their bikes between the curb and my horse.  Zoe just looked at them, head down and calm while I held by breath.  She let them pass no problem.  Phew.  I probably should have said something because not every horse would be so nice in that situation.  Today I noticed that the spots on Zoe's shoulders are getting worse.  My saddle keeps slipping forward as I ride.  So now I going to get a crupper for her.  I tried out Skippy's on her and she didn't mind.  I hope it helps because the spots are getting worse, there is a spot on her right shoulder that has no hair.

Finally a ride-weekend

I was sick last Thursday so no riding until today-Sunday.  Something about all my joints and muscles aching, headache, sore throat, stuffy nose, and being chilled told me that riding might not be the best thing for me to be doing.  So here it is Sunday and we're back at it again.  (Still have a stuffy nose, but that's not going to stop me)  Sky, Skippy and Zoe got to pick up where we left off on our last weekend ride-Dottie's Hill with manners.  Skippy's rider grudgingly said he would help us on our attempt to have manners going up that hill.  We did many stops, changes of gaits while on the way to the hill.  As we got closer, Skippy got to be in the lead-she's the one with LOTS of energy.  Zoe was second and Sky last.  The first time up the hill was better than 2 weekends ago.  We started out at a walk, I could tell Skippy wanted to charge up it, but she was paying attention to her rider and we totted the last 3rd of the hill.  Zoe had good manners as well as Sky.  At the top-no resting-we went back down.  (I can hear Skippy's rider in my head-grumble, grumble).  The next time up we started trotting earlier.  This time I could tell Skippy's energy was more controllable  and Zoe and Sky were a bit calmer.  We decided that that was good-didn't want to overdo a good thing with the horses and to give Skippy's rider a break.  Now we wound around the forest with Skippy in the lead.  Had great fun totting on single track trails.  Zoe did good, altho a little slower than Skippy.  Sometimes Skippy had to stop and wait for us to catch up.  Only once did Zoe do a stupid thing.  We were trotting on a single track trail, on the flat, around a curve to the left, and she decided to eat the pine tree to her left.  Her body kept going forward because I asked her to keep going but her head stopped to eat the pine tree.  So the final effect of this movement was almost a rear-not a rear from attitude but a rear from the horse not having control of all body parts.  We did some circling after that mistake and she didn't eat pine trees again.  One of the hills Skippy trotted up to the top and I decided to walk up after her-just to see if Zoe could go a different gait than the lead horse-after all it is fun to trot up hills.  Zoe did it at a walk-with good manners.  Phew.  We did find some puddles to walk in and that was fun too.  At the end of the ride we were thankful for Skippy's rider helping us out on Dottie's Hill and he was profusely thanked.

Windy puddly day-practicing

Wednesday was very windy.  A plastic bag flew out of the trash can where I had Zoe tied up...she was sure it was out to get her.  I was getting ready to go out to the trails.  After calming her down we went out.  Zoe spent alot of time calling today...maybe it was the wind, scary bag, I didn't ride her last weekend (out of town)-don't know and I didn't care.  Off we went.  Once on the trail she called once but it meant more work for her-didn't turn out so well for her.  My goal on this ride was to work some puddles.  Seeing it just rained I knew we would find some.  Another side goal was to have a good horse in this wind.  We found all the major puddles on large roads so we tended to stay on large roads.  Every once in a while we did a small single track trail.  Puddles usually are no problem.  But I wanted to try going down into a puddle and coming up, I wanted to try trotting thru them, I wanted to walk the big long ones-and see how she would do.  We got to practice all of those and she mostly did fine, sometimes she would try to walk at the edge of the puddle, but then we had to go back and try again.  Second time thru was fine.  The wind made her wary of things, but she wasn't jumpy or spooky.  She spent alot of time looking around at things.  I spent time telling her to keep her attention on where we were going.

On Wednesdays I get to the barn very early.  I feed my horses, clean the stalls in the barn and the stalls next to the barn then go out on a ride.  I'm usually ready to ride before the barn manager feeds the horses, hence I feed them.  Here is a picture of Skippy and Zoe as I was cleaning their place.  They had finished eating and were trying to catch some sun so they could warm up.

I am also practicing with loud noises with Zoe.  Last fall I started with bubble wrap, moved to larger bags of air for packing.  What's with all this practice?  Well I've entered  Folsom Police Equine Units Equine Challenge.  It's in May so I have time to practice alot of things.  A friend at my barn volunteers with them and has done this challenge for a few years, this year it is open to the public so I decided to sign up.  So from time to time I'll be writing about our practices.  The loud noises...last year they had to shoot a gun from horseback...should be interesting.  So far I've been able to shoot a BB gun while riding Zoe, and I'm working on the pellet gun-it's the louder one.  I can stand next to her and fire off the pellet gun... so we will see how it goes while I'm riding her.  Apparently traveling thru large water puddles is part of this event also.  Hence my riding thru the puddles today.

Pictures-reminiscing

A friend had expressed interest in seeing a picture of Zoe now (10 years old) with her foal blanket on her back.  I had made this foal blanket because she was so small-we couldn't put a regular foal blanket on her because they were too big.  So I bought some fleece material at Hancock Fabrics, I took my sewing machine out to the barn, and "fashioned" a foal blanket for my foal.  Every year on her birthday (Jan 8), except this year, I have taken a picture of her with this blanket on her back.  I guess it would be interesting to see the progression of pictures, but for now we will have these to look at.  In the younger pictures, Zoe is about 1 week old.  In the older pictures, she is 10 years old.

           Yes that is my thumb in the picture

           Zoe was able to walk under her mother's belly

          These 2 horses are now just about the same height...only Zoe is fluffy (aka fatter).

Wednesday's ride dragging branch

This ride was good.  Zoe stood still while I found my branch, tied my hay string to it, and mounted up.  We backed up first and she wasn't spooky so off we went.  I found my branch just past "grand central station" or "red dirt hill".  We took our branch to the top of the next hill just past where you turn to go to "the rock".   We left it there and went on our ride.  I wanted to find a trail that I missed when I was out last weekend.  I found it...so easy.  Don't know why I didn't find it last weekend.  Anyway we purposely went back the way we came so I could drag the branch back to where I found it.  And that was no problem.  I left it out there, string laying on a bush, good height to get it again and drag it somewhere else.  Maybe someone else will find it and play with it.

Walking over branches

So because of the Granite Bay ride last week where Zoe decided that the solution to having hind feet caught in branches was to buck...this morning we played with branches in the arena.  Someone recently picked up all the loose branches from the cotton wood tree out front.  So I took some of these into the arena this morning-about 8.  I thought after we walked over them, I would drag them too - so I tied a hay string to the biggest branch.  I walked Zoe over them no problem.  We trotted over them no problem.  Good there.  So I decided to stop while standing on them.  Now this is where I should have known better.  Zoe wanted to check out the branches so I let her put her nose down and...she grabbed the biggest branch in her mouth.  I was trying to be nice and let her check them out and I forgot that she LOVES to put things in her mouth.  So now I'm sitting on my horse, with this branch hanging from her mouth-it's not a dry branch so it doesn't just break off where she has bit it, it hangs from her mouth.  Then she decides it's fun to bob her head up and down with the branch hanging from her mouth.  Now remember this is the branch with the hay string tied to it.  The more she bobs her head up and down the more the string gets tangled in the other branches-THAT WE ARE STANDING ON.  I'm thinking this could turn out bad...if she spooks she probably won't let go of the branch in her mouth, she will jump or run and all the branches that are tangled in the string are going to come with us and...well it could get ugly.  Thankfully the branch breaks and falls from her mouth and we walk away unscathed.  Phew!  Note to self-DO NOT let Zoe check out the branches.   We  survived that so I decided to get off and make sure my branches are securely tied to the hay string so I can practice dragging them.  Zoe did fine with that.  I even tried to drag it close to the mounting block so it would make a different noise and everything was fine.
I was telling this story to one of my barn trainers and she commented that it might be a different story out on the trail.  So...maybe on Wednesday I'll bring some hay string out on the trail and practice dragging stuff out there.  Story to be continued...

Sunday's ride-head tossing, bucking success

Well we finally replicated a ride...one with being in the back or middle and loosing your brains.  We just needed to find a faster horse with alot of energy-Skippy.  With Skippy in the lead, extended trotting all the way to Dottie's Hill (fun), turn to go up Dottie's Hill and Zoe and Sky did the head tossing, trying to buck, loosing brains section of the ride (not fun).  We all ended up fine, just walked up the hill.  But it was interesting.  And Skippy's rider has grudgingly agreed to help us work on it.  So next time we go there-in about 2 weeks (gone next weekend) we can work on the hill.  Rest of the ride was great.  Zoe lead after Dottie"s Hill and I was trying to find a certain trail but wasn't too successful.  Will be out there this week looking for that trail again.  We did go some different and interesting places.  

Granite Bay ride

Thursday-no rain.  Beautiful day.  Dune, Sky and Zoe went to Granite Bay today.  Every horse had their small issues, but they were mostly good for the ride.  Zoe got a chance to be in front, middle and back.  She did good in all places.  No head tossing today.  She tried to spook at a few things, but I kept her moving and we passed them without stopping.  There is a pole that sticks out of a rock as you go around a curve-also a cliff on the outside of the curve.  Zoe has never liked this place.  So we purposely changed the lead horse to Sky before we got there, Sky has no problem with the pole.  I put Zoe right behind him and she passed it just fine, just gave it "the ear" but didn't change her pace as we went by.  Now if I put her in the lead...well we might have stopped.
At Granite Bay there were mules.  I've never had Zoe around mules and I know some horses really check them out and might think they aren't okay.  Zoe really checked them out.

Then some other horses came up on the trail and Sky and Zoe had to check them out.

Dune needs a picture too.

The mules left and went down the trail in the same direction we were going to go.  So we stopped to eat some more grass and make some space between them and us.  When we left Granite Bay I put Zoe in the lead.  She was in a hurry because we were going home, so sometimes we walked and sometimes we trotted.   As we went around one of the curves she got her hind feet caught up in some branches that someone had left at the edge of the trail.  So her reaction was to buck to get out of the them.  I stayed on, but wasn't sure why she bucked.  We quickly turned a circle and my friends told me what had made her buck.  They said the way she was caught up that any horse would have bucked.  I practice with things at  the barn that get wrapped around her legs.  I guess I need to practice with branches.
We continued on and 1/3 of the way home we changed lead horses.  Sky was now in the lead and remained there all the way home.  What was next interesting was that we caught up with the mules.  They had pulled over to the side to rest.  We passed them just fine.  Zoe was in the middle and Dune was in the back.  As we went on the mules were catching up to us.  Dune didn't like them behind him and Zoe didn't like it either...they both got nervous.  About this time our turn off towards the forest came up so we really got away from them.  I guess  Dune and Zoe don't like mules much.  It made us think about endurance riders that always have riders come up behind them.  Must be interesting to deal with that.
On the way home we tried to put Dune and Zoe next to each other on a wide trail.  Zoe was doing the typical mare attitude and when we walked side by side...Zoe layed her ears back.  It was interesting.  We made her deal with it and she got better...gave her a break...then did it again.  By the end of the ride she was much better.  What was interesting was if Dune was in back and came up beside us it was harder for her to deal with.  She did better if she was in the back and came up beside Dune.  Silly horse.

Drizzle ride

This Wednesday it was drizzling so we went on a ride.  By the time I actually got on the trail it had stopped drizzling.  Probably because I put on my oil skin coat.  It was a short ride because I had extra work to do at the barn.  The trail was nice.  The rain had settled on the trees and made droplets on all the branches.  It looked so pretty, I should have taken a picture.  Zoe was good until we started back home.  Then lots of things were spooky.  "Really" I said.  She was 1/2 way listening and trying to be good, but I could tell she was uncomfortable for some reason.  It was just enough to get under my skin.  So when we got back to the barn where she thought work was over, we worked some more.  Free lunging in the arena got her attention.  She was very contrite afterwards, followed me everywhere, was listening great, I had all of her attention and got her to breathing hard.